Temperatures and humidity not looking so good.

[blackessence666]

So, yet again, aside from possible scale rot and an RI, I cannot seem to get my temps correct. The hot spot is fine. 90-95F. I use a heating pad and an overhead lamp to get it like that. The only problem I have now is the cold spot. It is supposed to be somewhere in the low 80's, but it is at 73F.
Question is, how do I bring that temp up without bringing his hot spot higher as well? I can't add another lamp because that will completely dry out his tank. I'm already having humidity problems. It sometimes stays at 50% but then suddenly drops to 40%. And since my Bp may have a possible RI, it should be higher. The temp on the cool side needs to be brought up to 85F.

And i'm stressing myself out because i've only had the little guy for two weeks now. My inexperienced self is to blame.

Does anyone know how to bring up the temps on the cool side?

[starmom]

I'm guessing since you've got a lamp going and also having humidity problems that you might be using a glass tank; is this right? If so, read this sticky: http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ad.php?t=56846. It has a lot of suggestions as to what others methods you might want to use to get the heat you're looking for without totally zapping the humidity. It also speaks to some tricks on how to get that humidity up! Good luck~ you will succeed for your snake!

[jwenker1]

For the temperature problem You could possible try moving the heat source a little closer to the cool side, so these is less of a temp gradient. Another option which may not be an option for most people is to increase the room temperature. A third option would be to get an undertank heating pad and thermostat for the cool side.

FOR THE HUMIDITY PROBLEMS
When i had tanks I had the same problem, and found a few ways to get humidity into the 50's.

try increasing the size of your water bowl, this may help some.

what really worked for me was covering most of the top of the cage with a wet towel/cloth. I covered 2/3 the top with a t-shirt. On top of that i had a small towel that I would soak every day and put on top of the t-shirt. This way kept the towel damp for about 2 days. When you feel the towel getting dry, take it to the sink, run it under water, ring it out just a little, and put it back. this method works, but requires you to re-wet the towel every few days.

I am no expert and you may get better suggestions from others, but I hope these help. Most of all dont kill yourself worrying about these things, there are ways to fix this and you will figure them out. Getting too stressed doesnt help anyone and in fact gets in the way of clear thinking.
GOOD LUCK

[waltah!]

If you have issues with the temps and humidity you might want to set up a tub. Even if it's temporary until you get a handle on the tank setup. Your bp will do better in recovery in a tub as well imo. Tubs are super easy when it comes to heat and especially humidity. This will give you time to set the tank up for the best results without having the snake in there during the trial and error stages. A basic tub setup is very inexpensive as i'm assuming you already have a thermostat/rheostat and digital thermometer to use. Good luck and try not to stress out too much....I know it's hard when you are a new snake owner.

[Texas Dan]

So, yet again, aside from possible scale rot and an RI, I cannot seem to get my temps correct. The hot spot is fine. 90-95F. I use a heating pad and an overhead lamp to get it like that. The only problem I have now is the cold spot. It is supposed to be somewhere in the low 80's, but it is at 73F.
Question is, how do I bring that temp up without bringing his hot spot higher as well? I can't add another lamp because that will completely dry out his tank. I'm already having humidity problems. It sometimes stays at 50% but then suddenly drops to 40%. And since my Bp may have a possible RI, it should be higher. The temp on the cool side needs to be brought up to 85F.

And i'm stressing myself out because i've only had the little guy for two weeks now. My inexperienced self is to blame.

Does anyone know how to bring up the temps on the cool side?

Where is your tank located? I put mine near the heating vent (not where he can get the air directly), and that seems to help out a little bit. My temps stay about 75-81. 75 is more at night though. Just make sure you don't have him right next to a window (as it is winter, and they may be kinda cold).

[naba2002]

i do the wet towel trick and it works great for me, i also had a prob with the cool side being cold and i moved closer to the vent like suggested and it works great, and in the summer when u dont have the heat on u can move it near the window.... good luck

[BostonMacK]

If the room you house the snake in cannot be kept in the high 70's you should either as said above add a second UTH and thermostat or buy an oil filled space heater to bring the ambient temps up in that area. Having your cool side dip to 73 is very dangerous for your snake. You need to take care of that ASAP.

Keeping humidity up in a glass tank is tough as it is and when you have a lamp sucking out all of your humidity it's that much harder. Try the damp towel technique and see how that holds up. I have a PVC vision cage which is built for herps and I still have to mist twice a day during the winter months to keep things right. During the summer it usually stays between 50-60%

You also may want to look into a tub setup with the best interest of your snake in mind.